Device for the cleaning of beer coils and other dispensing apparatus



Oct. 10, 1939.

N. BULLERI DEVICE FOR THE CLEANING OF BEERCOILS AND QIHER DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15, 1958 Ill Nat ale Bulleri Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED, STATES DEVICE FOR THE CLEANING OF BEER COILS AND OTHER DISPENSING APPARATUS Natale Bulleri, Villisca, Iowa Application August 15, 1938, Serial No. 225,061

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the cleaning of beer coils and other dispensing apparatus, the prime object being to. provide for readily cleansing the coils and piping of the dispensing apparatus and maintaining the same in a sanitary condition by the use of simplified yet practical and eflicient means which is conveniently arranged in cooperative relation to the dispensing apparatus as ordinarily installed.

A particular object is to provide a unitary device which can be connected in the system so that the cleansing fluid is first forced under pressure through the system in one direction from the special cleaning unit and reversely through the system by the reactive pressure created in the dispensing container.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages to be attained as will hereinafter more fully appear the invention consists in the novel general arrangement of the apparatus and in the parts and combinations and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and set forth with particularity in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which the sole figure illustrates more or less in diagram a practical adaptation of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I designates an ordinary beer keg or beverage dispensing container to which is applied a conventional tap 2 provided with the usual cut-off valve 3 and being connected by a pipe 4 to a liquid carbonic gas drum 5 for carbonating the contents of the keg I and creating sufficient pressure within the keg to force the contents from the keg through the piping and coil 6 connecting the tap 2 to the dispensing faucet I.

The foregoing described elements constitute the ordinary beer dispensing apparatus, which further includes the usual sink 8 located below the dispensing faucet I and having a regular drain pipe 9.

The cleaning apparatus, as shown, includes a tank II] having a capped opening II through which the cleaning solution is introduced into the tank. Leading into the lower portion of the tank is an inlet pipe l2 provided with a valve l3, said pipe I2 having a drain faucet I4 at its outer end.

Between the valve I3 and drain faucet I4 the pipe I2 is provided with a coupling I5 having a lateral nipple connection I6 with a coupling I'I, one end of the coupling having a pipe I8 connected thereto which leads from a source of cold water supply under pressure such as city water, and being provided with a cut-off valve I9. The opposite end of the coupling II is connected by pipe 2|] to an ordinary hot water tank or source of hot water under pressure and having a cut-off valve 2I.

Leading from the upper portion of the tank I0 is an outlet pipe-22 provided with a valve 23 .s and having a branched coupling 24 at its outer end, one branch of the coupling having one end of a section of hose 25 attached thereto, the opposite end of the hose being provided with a clamp or coupling 26 for attachment to the disin pensing faucet I. The other branch of the coupling 24 is provided with a cut-off valve 21, having a flexible drain tube 28 attached at one end thereof, said drain tube being of sufficient length for its opposite end to reach the sink 8.

The outlet pipe 22 is provided with a coupling 29 between the cut-01f valve 23 and branched coupling 24, said coupling 29 being connected by a pipe 38 to the coupling I5 of the inlet pipe I2, said connecting pipe 30 having a cut-off valve 3|. 20

In the cleansing operation, in accordance with the present invention, the valves I3, 23, and the several other valves having beenpreviouslyclosed, and the cleansing solution in proper strength introduced into the tank II], the hose pipe 25 is 25 coupled to the dispensing faucet I. The valves I3 and 23 are then opened and the valve 2I of the hot water supply pipe 20 being next opened the hot water is turned into the tank I0, forcing the solution through the hose pipe 25, faucet I, 30 coil 6 and tap 2, into the keg I, thereby flushing the piping and coil and building up pressure in the keg I' which had been previously emptied except for some gas remaining in the keg after the dispensing of the beer content, and the gas 35 supply from the drum 5 through the pipe 4 having been cut off by closing the valve 5 between said drum 5 and the pipe 4. The next step is to close the valves 2I, I3, and 23, and open the valve 21, whereupon the; pressure built up in thekeg I 40 forces cleaning solution out of the keg I and back through the coil 6, faucet I, hose pipe 25, and out through the drain pipe 28 in the sink 8, whence it is conducted through the drain pipe 9 to the sewer.

After the washing operation with the cleansing solution is accomplished, as thus above described, the valve 21 between the branched coupling 24 and drain pipe 28 is closed and the valve 3| in the pipe connection 30 between the coupling I5 50 of the inlet pipe I2 and the coupling 29 of the outlet pipe 22 is opened, after which the valve I9 of the cold water supply pipe I8 is opened, whereupon the cold water under pressureis forced through the hose pipe 25, faucet I, pipe coil 6 and tap 2 into the keg l, which has been again emptied except as to the amount of gas remaining therein after the flushing operation with the cleaning solution ended, thereby again building up pressure above the body of the cold water forced into the keg. The valves l9 and 3| are then closed and the valve 21 between the branched coupling and drain pipe 28 is again opened, whereupon the water is forced by the reaction of the pressure created in the keg I back through the pipe system and drained through the pipe 28 into the sink.

From the foregoing it is seen that a dual flushing action is attained in both the washing with the solution and the rinsing water in simple and economical, yet practical and highly efficient manner whereby the dispensing apparatus is maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

While the apparatus illustrated embodies a practical and conventional adaptation of the invention, it is obvious that considerable modification may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention therefore is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawing.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein described apparatus for cleaning beer and similar liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising, in a unitary assembly, a cleansing solution container, said container having a lateral outlet pipe near its top provided with a cutoif valve adjacent the container, a branched pipe coupling at the outer end of said outlet pipe, one branch of the coupling having a pipe extension constantly in communication therewith for connection directly to the delivery faucet of the dispensing apparatus, the other branch of the coupling having a cutoff valve and a drain pipe extension beyond and controlled by said valve, and common correlated valve-controlled means for selectively supplying hot or cold water or a mixture of both under pressure to said container near the bottom thereof and for alternatively supplying the water either hot, cold or admixed directly to the outlet pipe of the container between the cutoff valve thereof and said branched coupling, at will.

2. The herein described apparatus for cleaning beer and similar liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising, in a unitary assembly, a cleansing solution container, said container having a lateral outlet pipe near its top provided with a cutoff valve adjacent the container, a branched pipe coupling at the outer end of said outlet pipe, one branch of the coupling having a pipe extension constantly in communication therewith for connection directly to the delivery faucet of the dispensing apparatus, the other branch of the coupling having a cutoff valve and a drain pipe extension beyond and controlled by said valve,

said cleansing solution container having a lateral inlet pipe near its bottom, said inlet pipe being provided with a cutoff valve adjacent the container and having a drain faucet at its outer end, a pipe communicably connecting said outlet and inlet pipes of the container between the respective cutoff valves thereof and their outer end attachments, said connecting pipe provided with a cutoff valve, and a branched pipe coupling communicably connected to the inlet pipe of the container in alinement with the pipe connection between said inlet pipe and the outlet pipe of said container, one branch of said last named pipe coupling having a pipe connection with a source of hot water under pressure, the pipe connection being provided with a cutofi valve, the opposite branch of the coupling being similarly connected to a source of cold water under pressure.

3. A dual reactive flushing system, for cleaning beer coils and the like, comprising in combination with a conventional dispensing system including a delivery faucet having a coiled pipe connection with a keg or other dispensing container, of a cleaning solution tank having a valvecontrolled outlet pipe provided at its outer end with a branched coupling, one branch of said coupling having a pipe extension constantly in communication therewith for connection directly to the delivery faucet of the dispensing apparatus, the other branch of said coupling having a i valve-controlled drain pipe extension, valve-controlled means for supplying hot water under pressure to said tank, and valve-controlled means for supplying cold water to the outlet pipe of said tank between the controlling valve of the pipe and the branched coupling.

4. In combination with a dispensing apparatus for beer and other liquids, including a keg or container tapped and having a coiled pipe connection with a delivery faucet and a conventional valved connection with a source of carbonic gas, a unitary cleaning apparatus comprising a cleaning solution tank, a valve-controlled outlet pipe leading from said tank and branched at its outer end, one branch having a hose pipe extension constantly in communication therewith for connection directly to said delivery faucet of the dispensing apparatus, the other branch having a valve-controlled flexible drain pipe extension of a length to reach the conventional drain beneath the delivery faucet, a valve-controlled inlet pipe leading into said tank in opposed relation to the outlet pipe thereof, valve-controlled hot and cold water pipes merging connectedly with said inlet pipe outward from the controlling valve thereof,

NATALE BULLERI. 

